Abstract (in English)

Scotland has a rich archaeological heritage that has been the subject of government protection for nearly 125 years. As part of the United Kingdom, Scotland is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the various international charters and conventions that are designed to protect the historic environment.
Background From the beginning of the production of international conservation charters in the twentieth century, the preservation of the setting of a monument has been seen as a way of protecting the appreciation, interpretation and the visitor’s experience of the monument within appropriate surroundings. However, the UK guidance does not define setting in detail or what could be considered as an appropriate setting. It has been left to the archaeological and planning professions to explore the definition further.
Issues This paper looks at how the term has been interpreted and used by the archaeological and planning professions. It will explain how the term’s definition has not been used consistently or in its widest sense. This paper presents a definition of the full meaning of the term “setting”. A method of assessment for the setting of archaeological sites will be presented. It will assess existing techniques of landscape analysis, including visual impact assessment and landscape capacity study with particular reference to the buffer zone of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. The benefits and pitfalls of the method will be explained along with recommendations for further work.